Empty the drained and rinsed kidney beans into a bowl and mash them thoroughly with a fork, add some salt to taste.

In the meantime, add a little olive oil to a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onions on a medium heat. When the onions have softened and are just beginning to brown, add the garlic (and chilis if using). Stir for a minute longer and add the tablespoon of chili powder. Stir for another minute then pour the contents of the pan onto the bowl of mashed kidney beans.

Ensure there is some oil left on the bottom of the pan (add a little more oil if necessary), mash the onion/chili powder mix into the beans and return to the pan (if you can, turn down the heat a notch to a low medium). Use a fork or other implement to squash down the bean mixture to form a thin 'cake'. Leave to cook for a few minutes.
Once the underside has begun to brown, flip over the bean 'cake'. Using a plate 'Spanish tortilla style' is second nature to me, but it's easily done with a spatula. It won't matter if the cake breaks as long as both sides get cooked. After a few more minutes, slide the cooked bean cake out onto a serving plate.

This bean mash is very versatile and can be added to a tomato sauce to bulk up a pasta or rice dish, but my favourite way to use it is as a South American style tortilla wrap filling.

- Tortillas

Get some soft wheat flour or corn tortillas/flat breads (they're quite easy to make yourself, either with wheat flour or masa harina. Mix either flour with water and a touch of salt and press out into thin rounds. The masa harina tortillas will probably need some clingfilm/sarin wrap as they are rather sticky, the wheat flour rounds can be rolled out on a lightly floured surface. Then cook in a hot dry pan.) If using store bought tortillas, just warm them up first - I tend to clean out the pan I used for the bean mash and use that, just add the tortilla to a hot dry pan for a minute or so on each side.
Alternatively, use pitta bread pockets.

Prepare a selection of accompaniments to wrap up with the bean mash. These might include:

Add the mash to a warmed tortilla, add the accompaniments of your choice, roll it all up 'burrito' style and eat.
If making this for several people, you can put the bowls of accompaniments out onto a table and let your companions make their own wraps. I really enjoy this as picnic food.

If you have little tolerance for spicy food, substituting the spoon of chili powder with paprika to the onions and beans will add flavour without the heat.

I'm not a big fan of kidney beans as I don't enjoy their texture. But I do like them mashed up like this, so this is the way I incorporate this bean into my diet. This recipe works with pinto beans also. Feel free to be generous with the olive oil if you want a softer consistency.

I just made black bean rolls last week. I prefer them like refried beans, traditional recipes call for lard or oil but I know many people who use milk or water (I personally use water it keeps them moist, cracked/dry beans are a pet peeve of mine)

I usually cook black, pinto, or a mixture of the two with large quantities of a good hot sauce (adds moisture and spice with out adding many calories) and I just heat them through in a sauce pan and mash them while they cook.

Another variation are quick, cheater enchiladas. You can heat up some enchilada sauce in a small frying pan, warm some corn tortillas through in the sauce and roll some beans inside and bake them in the oven to get them to set. And if you eat cheese, top them with some queso fresco or even mix some in the beans.

And if you eat cheese, top them with some queso fresco or even mix some in the beans.

Could you explain what you mean by queso fresco?

To me it means fresh/cool/unaged cheese. There are lots of quesos frescos all over Spain, but perhaps the best known, and the one that might be thought of as the 'default' queso fresco for Spaniards is the kind that Burgos is famous forhttp://picnica.ciao.com/es/150782.jpg

Queso fresco, sort of a fresh farmer's cheese made from cow's milk that crumbles, similar to feta but not as salty. I found this guide to Mexican cheeses that night help:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/mexicancheeses.htm

Thought so! :D
Spanish queso fresco and Mexican queso fresco are nothing alike (the Burgos style cheese is kind of creamy and very, very soft).
I'm not sure about using feta as an alternative. Feta has a very assertive taste (one I associate very strongly with Greek dishes).
Could you suggest any other style of cheese that can be used? I don't know where one can find the crumbly American style of queso fresco in Europe.

I agree that feta is not very comparable, it is far too salty and well just not the same. If there is a type of farm fresh cheese made from cows milk that is crumbly in your area, I would suggest that. But if not I came across a way to make it, if you cannot find anything in your area and would still like to try it.

It is also much different that cottage cheese, or at least the cottage cheese we have here. I have never made the cheese, it is in pretty much every grocery store here. So I'm sorry I don't know of equivalent cheeses in other parts of the world.

using rennet as the curdling agent rather than the vinegar or lemon juice you use for paneer, so it's not as sour tasting.

Where the instructions say: "By now the curds should be firm and you should stop the heating process. Pour the curds into the colander lined with the cheese cloth to drain off the whey. You can save the whey to feed to your pets or chickens. Let the curds drain for a few minutes. If you let the curds drain for too long they will stick together. ", if you DID let the curds drain for too long, the cheese would end up very similar to paneer in texture, but without the slightly acidic taste. You can drain bought cottage cheese in muslin or cheesecloth for several hours, and then press it under something heavyish to squash the curds together and it will be reasonably similar.

Do you think you could possibly use Havarti in place of the queso fresco? I love that cheese..it's got a very creamy mild taste to me, and would be good with beans, and melts decently. May be a bit easier to find too perhaps?

Honestly I see a lot of different types of cheeses used in Americanized versions, so just about any type should work. I know cheddar and jack, either individually or mixed together (mixed together is labeled as Mexican cheese in California stores), is a very popular combination.